Believe: The Complete Channie Series (48 page)

Aunt Wisdom let go of Channie’s hand and cuffed Josh’s ear. So much for reverence.

Josh rubbed the side of his head and scowled at Aunt Wisdom. “Sorry. I forgot how touchy you guys are about the moon.”

Aunt Wisdom leaned towards Channie. For a moment she thought she was going to smack her too. Josh must have thought so as well. He twisted sideways, shielding Channie with his body. Aunt Wisdom leaned back and said, “Why didn’t you tell me he was born during winter solstice, 1991?”

Channie peeked over Josh’s shoulder and used one of his favorite excuses. “You didn’t ask.”

Aunt Wisdom groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “You kids will be the death of me.” She squared her shoulders, shaking them a little as if it would rid her of Channie and Josh’s annoying ineptitude. She picked Josh’s phone up and frowned. “
Nothing is promised, nothing is given
...There’s no guarantee Josh will even survive the battle, much less ascend to the throne. It merely states that the eclipsed moon will ordain the heir that wins the fight.”

Despair’s chill fingers slid down Channie’s spine once again.

Josh kissed the top of her head then said, “
Follow your heart and save her life, take the enemy’s daughter and make her your wife...
The moon’s up. Let’s do this.”

Aunt Wisdom chuckled and said, “First things first, Romeo. Without a power name, you aren’t really a mage...Wait a minute, when you asked Channie to marry you...did you call her Channie...
Belks
?”

Channie nodded and said, “Daddy changed our surname to Belks when we went into hiding.”

“Oh good lord. Was that before or after he named you Chastity?”

“Before.”

Aunt Wisdom muttered a string of epithets about Daddy’s sub-normal intelligence and general lack of decency. 

They bounced different ideas for power names back and forth until Josh’s stomach growled like a wild beast. Aunt Wisdom chuckled then got up from the table and pulled a sack of cornmeal out of the pantry. She talked as she worked, measuring the ingredients for cornbread into a ceramic bowl...a handful of meal, a pinch of salt.

Channie wanted a name that would protect Josh’s compassionate nature from his Veyjivik blood. She knew too well how a power name could adversely affect a person. “How about Honor?”

Josh scrunched his nose. “That’s a girl’s name. Besides, how’s that going to help me protect you? I want something like Invincible Guardian.”

“You only get one word and Guardian won’t protect
you
—in fact it will put a target on your back—and Invincible is just an adjective. You need a noun, they’re stronger and more stable.”

Aunt Wisdom held the bowl in her arms and leaned against the counter as she stirred the batter. “I tried to talk Channie’s parents out of naming her sister Abundance, but they didn’t listen. We all know how well that turned out. Might as well just call her Bunny instead of Abby. She breeds like a rabbit.”

Channie loved Aunt Wisdom, but her disparaging remarks about Daddy, and now Abby, were pissing her off.

Josh wove his fingers through Channie’s. It was amazing how just the touch of his hand on hers soothed her. He said, “How about Invincibility? That’s a noun. And my middle name is Vincent, so it sort of makes sense.”

Aunt Wisdom poured the cornbread batter into the pan and slid it into the oven. “No one’s invincible or immortal or perfect so cross those and their noun derivatives off your list. Any of those names would just give you a dangerous dose of false confidence. Besides, there’s more at stake here than just the two of you. If either of our clans are going to survive, you’ll have to tear the reins of power out of Dominance’s clutches and broker a peace treaty between the Ozark and Cumberland Mages.” She wiped her hands on her apron, reminding Channie of Momma, until she looked at Josh and smiled at him with respect—something Momma would never do. “You need a name that will give you every advantage. You need to be equal parts warrior, ambassador, and king.”

Aunt Wisdom hung her apron on a nail by the kitchen sink then sat down at the table.

Josh said, “There was this comic strip my dad used to read to me when I was a kid.”

Channie pressed her cheek against the base of his throat and felt his skin grow warmer. She smiled. He was blushing.

“Um...so, the main character’s name was Prince Valiant. Not that I want to be named Prince or Valiant, but he was definitely a hero type.”

Channie kissed his cheek and said, “How about Valor? Great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. But it also suggests a high level of honor.”

Aunt Wisdom leaned across the table and squeezed Channie’s arm. “That’s perfect.”

Josh chewed on his lower lip for a few seconds. “Okay. As long as no one calls me Val.”

Aunt Wisdom said, “We need to keep your identity a secret for as long as possible...so for now, let’s stick with Josh.”

Channie brushed Josh’s ear with her lips and whispered, “Now...and forever.”

Aunt
Wisdom explained the naming ceremony to Josh and said, “Normally your parents would do this for you, but since your circumstances are so...unusual, I see no reason why I can’t name you. Especially since your mother isn’t a mage and we have no idea whether your father is still living.” She frowned and puckered her lips then said, “Speaking of parents, do yours know where you are?”

“Not exactly. I talked to my Dad a couple of days ago and told him I’d keep him posted, but I haven’t been able to get a signal out here.”

“Are they going to send law enforcement to look for you?”

“I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks and I told him what I was doing, so I’m not exactly a runaway kid. The cops aren’t going to waste time looking for me. What about Channie?”

Channie rolled her eyes. “They won’t even miss me.”

Aunt Wisdom said, “I doubt that, but they know better than to come back here with the Veyjiviks looking for them. And they don’t trust the police.”

She put a folded quilt on the floor and motioned for Josh to kneel in front of her. “Are you ready to become a mage?”

He took a deep breath then smiled at Channie and nodded.

Aunt Wisdom placed her hands on his head.

I now bestow the name of Valor

Let it guide you hour by hour.

For on this day, you come of age.

You knelt a boy, now rise a mage.

Aunt Wisdom slid her hands from Josh’s head to his shoulders then kissed his cheek. “How do you feel?”

His eyes widened as he began to tremble—a whole body quake that rumbled the floor.

Aunt Wisdom grabbed Channie’s arm, flung the front door open and shoved her outside. “Run!”

Aunt Wisdom was not easily frightened or given to dramatics so when she said run, Channie should have run. But she was worried about Josh and hesitated. A blast of energy knocked her off her feet. She flew backwards off the porch, smacking the side of her head against the handrail. 

She woke up in Momma and Daddy’s bed with a cool, damp rag on her forehead that smelled faintly of willow bark—and a throbbing skull. The room spun when she tried to sit up. Strong hands pushed her back against the mattress, but they were not the hands she wanted.

“Where’s Josh?”

Aunt Wisdom said, “Outside, pacing and draining excess magic.”

“What happened?”

“I’d never given a power name to an adult before, but that’s no excuse, I should have known better.” Aunt Wisdom took the cool rag from Channie’s forehead, dipped it in a basin of water and wrung it out before she replaced it. The scent of willow bark was much stronger now. “When his power-well was opened for the first time, all that pent up energy had to go somewhere.”

“Is he all right? Can I see him?”

“He’s fine. Or at least he will be when I tell him you’re conscious and asking for him. You have a nasty concussion, I stopped your brain from swelling, but it’s going to take time for the headache to go away.”

“How much time?” Channie tried to sit up again, but gave up when a wave of nausea twisted her stomach. “I’m supposed to marry Josh before the moon sets.”

“You need to do more than just marry him. This is one time you can’t say, ‘not tonight dear, I have a headache.’”

“Why not?” Channie pressed her palms against her temples but the added pressure only made her head hurt worse. She had no intention of postponing the honeymoon, but she wanted to know why Aunt Wisdom was so worried about it.

“The marriage isn’t real until you consummate it.”

Channie didn’t like the word ‘consummate.’ It was too official, cold and practical—like signing a contract. She wanted to make love to Josh, not consummate him. And she didn’t want to do it with what felt like a herd of wild beasts trying to claw their way out of her skull. “I know it’s risky to mess with my brain, but just this once, couldn’t you—”

“I’ve already done all I can safely do. There is a reason your head hurts. Listen to your body and let your pain protect you. I’ve already talked to Josh.”

Channie groaned and not just from the pain of her headache. “What did you say to him?” Josh had a tendency to be overly cautious when it came to Channie’s wellbeing.

Aunt Wisdom ignored her question and said, “It’s about ten o’clock. I want to perform the binding spell when the moon reaches it apex at twelve-thirty. If I leave to go get Josh, will you promise to stay in bed?”

“I promise.” Channie couldn’t even sit up, much less get out of bed.

When
Josh knocked on the door and poked his head into the room, Channie’s heart soared, in spite of her headache. It fluttered against her ribs like a caged bird...a very happy, excited, about-to-be-married caged bird. Just the sight of him lessened her pain.

Josh grinned at her. “You look...amazing.”

Aunt Wisdom had buffed and manicured Channie’s nails into perfect ovals and brushed her hair until it fell around her shoulders in smooth, glossy waves.

“So do you.” Josh was wearing a new pair of jeans and a dark blue sweater that enhanced the color of his eyes.

“That dress is beautiful.”

It was the same dress she’d had on all evening, but it didn’t surprise Channie that Josh hadn’t noticed it until now.

“I wish I could stand up and twirl around so you could get the full effect, but Aunt Wisdom won’t let me out of bed.”

Josh grinned and said, “I like you in bed,” then frowned. “Your aunt said you fell and hit your head when she shoved you outside. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Aunt Wisdom must have blamed herself for Channie’s injuries so Josh wouldn’t be burdened with guilt.

“Is it okay if I sit beside you?”

Channie scooted over and patted the mattress.

The springs creaked when Josh sat down.

Channie cringed. She didn’t care if she were half dead, she was not going to spend her wedding night in Momma and Daddy’s bed. She’d find a way to get into her own bed if it killed her.

Josh picked up her left hand and kissed her fingers, over her promise ring. “I’ll get you an engagement ring and a wedding band as soon as we get home.”

“I don’t care about the rings, except I can’t wait to put one on your finger, so everyone knows you’re mine.”